bear leads her into a thick, ancient wood. the trees are close, gnarled like an old woman’s fingers, and she can taste heaviness in the air. anticipation, that’s what it tastes like. she follows, dutifully, never once taking that moment to look over her shoulder wistfully.

the star-severance is done. she is alone now, but not really. bear never did speak to her before tonight, just led. with a rope tied to somewhere past her collarbones, jerking her along until she met-.

she almost leaps out of her skin when her bear howls. it seems to echo forever in the wood, up and up into the thick branches of the ancient tree they stand beside. frea tips her head back to stare at the boughs above their head, eyes flicking between them, then back down at luhtar. she hasn’t been able to stop looking at him, really.

a sacred place, you said? her very breath was soft in reverence.

it’s beautiful. i’ve never seen anything like it. the spire had never held anything that ancient. starmaps had to be destained, their curriculum updated, their dice replaced. starfall had taught her everything was ephemeral but the stars.

luhtar was teaching her the opposite.